Page 17 of Deadly Waves

“In the grand scheme of things now, I’m not,” James said. “When she was fourteen and I was eighteen and getting ready to go off and join the military, that age difference was a little harder to overcome.”

“Ah.” Will bobbed his head. “I understand. That makes sense. You two were good friends even back then, though, right?” His eyes moved from Ally to Mandy. He was clearly harboring a crush of his own if James had to guess.

“We’ve been best friends since we were in elementary school,” Ally replied, narrowing her eyes as she stared at Mandy’s plate. “You’re going to get sick if you eat all of that. Do you want James to have to sleep on the bathroom floor with you again?”

“That shows what you know,” Mandy shot back. “James got me motion sickness medication.”

“You did?” Ally was impressed. “What made you think of that?”

“Because I’ve spent at least four nights sleeping on the floor with her and I’m an old man,” James answered. “I’m not taking any chances.”

“I’m not sure I understand what you’re talking about,” Will admitted. “Is there something wrong with the beds that would force you to sleep on the floor?”

“Oh, it’s not that,” Mandy said, shaking her head. “James thinks I have a weak stomach. I love seafood and got sick on it once after we started dating. He slept on the bathroom floor with me and I haven’t heard the end of it since.”

“That’s not the only time I’ve slept on the floor with you,” James pointed out. “There was the time you got drunk and kept calling me a ‘butthead.’ There was the time you fell asleep while I was giving you a massage and I didn’t want to wake you up. Oh, and just a few weeks ago I slept in the closet with you.”

The words were out of James’ mouth before he realized what he said and he instantly regretted bringing up the latest incident. Once he reclaimed her from Clint, Mandy was plagued by bad dreams and one night he left her alone in their bedroom so he could have a short meeting with his family. He found her hiding in the closet afterward, afraid to sleep out in the open. Instead of waking her, he curled up behind her so he could be sure she felt safe. The look on her face now told James he’d just chiseled away a bit of that safety blanket.

“Why would you sleep in the closet?” Tabitha asked, horrified. “That’s so weird.”

“I … .” James licked his lips and rested his hand on the back of Mandy’s neck as his mind worked overtime. “We’re adventurous,” he said finally. “We like to try new things.”

Tabitha wrinkled her nose. “That still sounds like a really weird thing.”

“Yeah, well, we’re weird people,” James said, locking gazes with Mandy. “Eat your huge dinner, baby. I promise to spin you around the dance floor and then take you for a walk on the deck once you’re done.”

Mandy forced a smile that didn’t make it all the way up to her eyes. “That sounds like a plan.”

“OH, HE’Sjust so … freaking hot.”

Tabitha’s youthful face took on a dreamy quality as she rested her chin on her hands and watched James and Mandy on the dance floor. They were having a good time, James singing the words to a song from Grease as he made Mandy laugh hysterically and circle the wooden floor with him. They were clearly lost in their own world.

“He’s not hot,” Grady said, leaning back in his chair and grabbing a cookie from the dessert plate Jake brought for everyone to share. “I’m hot. Look at me. He’s boring to look at.”

Sophie rolled her eyes but smiled at Grady’s antics. “Yes, look at Grady,” she prodded. “He’s not happy unless everyone is looking at him.”

“Isn’t that the truth?” Ally lamented, shooting her brother a challenging look when he dared stick out his tongue in her direction.

“But look at him,” Tabitha pressed. “He acts as if she’s the only woman in the world. He doesn’t even look at anyone else … and that woman next to him has been trying to flash her boobs to get his attention for twenty minutes.”

“To him there is no other woman in the world,” Grady said, pursing his lips. While he wasn’t thrilled with Mandy and James closing themselves off again, he had to admit they looked like they were having a great time as James took on John Travolta’s part in the decades-old movie and mimicked the dance moves to perfection. Mandy could not stop laughing as she tried to keep up. “He doesn’t care about anyone else’s boobs. Trust me.”

“Yes, Grady would know about being a boob,” Ally said.

“They’re very … into one another,” Will said, reclining in his chair as he watched the couple. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen a couple so obsessed with one another. I’m pretty sure that’s why I assumed they were newlyweds.”

“They’re definitely obsessed with each other, don’t get me wrong, but they’re a little more manic than usual these days,” Grady offered. “It’s been a … trying … time for them.”

“Grady.” Ally’s voice was low and threatening when she offered her brother a firm head shake. “Don’t spread around their business.”

“Is something going on?” Will asked, intrigued.

Grady opened his mouth to answer and then snapped it shut.

“Oh, good job,” Ally hissed, annoyed as she glanced at Will. “We obviously can’t leave it hanging like this now. He’s going to think the worst.”

“I’m sorry,” Grady said, holding up his hands. He genuinely meant it.